


Reconciled Love

by Arcticmist



Category: Original Work
Genre: 20th Century, Angst, Cancer, F/M, Historical, Inspired by The Fault in Our Stars, Inspired by Twist and Shout - gabriel & standbyme, One Shot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Author Regrets Nothing, Vietnam War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26690566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcticmist/pseuds/Arcticmist
Summary: A story of two souls ripped apart by the horrors of war and reuinted again amongst tragedy.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 2





	Reconciled Love

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Twist and Shout](https://archiveofourown.org/works/537876) by [gabriel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabriel/pseuds/gabriel), [standbyme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/standbyme/pseuds/standbyme). 



> I wrote this story years ago in a high school creative writing class. It was heavily inspired by The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and the Supernatural fanfiction Twist and Shout by gabriel and standbyme, two works that I reread while writing this.
> 
> I decided to write the most emotionally impactful story as I could muster after my teacher commented that my writing lacked emotion. 
> 
> Did I succeed in this mission? I'm not sure, but I know I created something I would like to share.

On a hot, humid summer afternoon in 1981, a single telephone call interrupted Andrew Smith’s lonely world. Sitting hunched over an endless stack of paperwork with dark, baggy circles outlining his hazel eyes, Andrew yawned loudly as he hastily grabbed for the screeching phone. In that moment, he did not realize the impact this conversation would have on his life. 

“Hello. Thank you for calling Smith’s Hardware. This is Andrew speaking. How may I help you?” Andrew’s slow, exhausted words tumbled out of his mouth conveying neither emotion nor energy.

“Oh, hello, Andrew,” the individual on the other line greeted, “I’m not quite sure if you remember me, but my name is

Kevin Potter. You were engaged to my sister, Emma, approximately ten years ago.”

Emma! Andrew could never forget his first love. From their initial meeting, the two young adults discovered a strong, mutual infatuation. With her spicy red hair and elegant figure, Emma captured Andrew's heart immediately. In his thirty-one years, he never loved anyone else so deeply.

Nervously shaking, Andrew responded, “Of course, I remember you. I hope life has been treating you well, Kevin, but Emma and I were finished a long time ago.”

Kevin sighed, “I know. But my sister. . .”

Fighting to control a tsunami of emotion, Andrew clenched his fists before retorting, “I don’t want to talk about Emma. She’s better off without me.”

Sternly Kevin declared, “Look, I’m not all that thrilled to talk to the guy who nearly destroyed my sister’s heart.”

“Then why did you call?” Andrew snapped.

After a heavy pause, Kevin’s soft, shaky voice resumed, “Emma’s dying.”

“That’s nonsense, we’re the same age. I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s tough.” As Andrew spoke in disbelief, an icy sweat enveloped his body.

“The doctors diagnosed her with stage four ovarian cancer,” Kevin explained. “Sadly, it was discovered too late.”

Speechless, Andrew could not accurately find words to express his thoughts. 

Kevin continued, “Emma wants to see you again before she passes away. At the most, she only has a couple weeks left.” 

“I need some time to think; I’ll call you later,” Andrew responded before slowly placing the phone back on his cluttered desk. His heart ached at the thought of Emma suffering. 

* * *

Entangled in a painful, nostalgic web, Andrew recalled his brief yet significant time with his former lover. The couple met at a college party when they were just nineteen years old. Two years later, upon learning that Andrew had been drafted into the military, his distraught fiancée arranged for them to flee. Unwilling to forsake everything he knew, Andrew adamantly refused the offer. Leaving Emma behind, he experienced a brutal atmosphere filled with death and destruction. After Andrew returned home from Vietnam in 1973, Emma comforted him every night when horrifying nightmares infiltrated his mind.

In a fit of anxious fear, the former soldier believed the only way to keep the love of his life safe involved ending their relationship. After all, he failed to protect his younger brother during the war. Who knew what could happen to Emma because of him? Mourning over the loss of his sibling, Andrew realized everyone he loved was better off without him.

Leaning back in his worn, leather chair, Andrew pondered the many questions buzzing through his mind like a swarm of furious bees. Should he visit a dying woman whom he last saw many years ago? Could he handle reconnecting with his painful past? Other than reluctantly acquiring his retired father’s business, Andrew strived to erase any connections to his personal history. Burying himself in work, Andrew spent minimal time with friends and family. Wholeheartedly, Andrew believed this solitary lifestyle protected others. 

Night had vanquished the sunlight by the time Andrew returned home. Thoroughly exhausted from a monstrous workload, the businessman gazed into the bathroom mirror of his dreary one-bedroom apartment. His once youthful eyes now reflected the horrors of war. Bombs, bullets, Vietcong death traps, torrential rainstorms, and the stench of rotting corpses infested his memories.

* * *

After a fitful and restless night’s sleep, Andrew sat in his blue Volkswagen, emotionally preparing himself for the trip. Cautiously, he turned on the automobile and began his short journey. With a death grip on the steering wheel, Andrew finally arrived at the hospital. Panic tightly clutching his heart, Andrew seriously considered driving back home. “This was a terrible idea,” he told himself repeatedly.

However, a sudden burst of strength gave Andrew the courage to enter the large medical facility. As the tense man approached Emma’s hospital room, part of him screamed, “Turn back!” Shaking as if it were freezing cold, Andrew slowly walked into her room while staring at the emaciated form lying on the bed. Gaunt and pale, Emma’s once vibrant beauty had withered with time. However, her large dark brown eyes still glimmered upon recognizing Andrew.

“There’s no need to act like a stranger,” Emma finally spoke after an eternity of silence. “I may have lost my hair, but I’m still me.”

Stunned at Emma’s uncharacteristically raspy voice, Andrew stood at a distance with his fidgety hands stuck deep inside his denim pockets. Unable to bear the sight of the frail, dying patient, he stared at the plain gray walls. 

Noticing where her ex-fiancée’s attention lay, Emma giggled before softly mumbling, “I’ve begged for the room to be repainted, but psychologists say gray is evidently calming.”

Struggling to find adequate words, Andrew chuckled, “I’m glad your humor hasn’t changed.”

“Please come closer,” Emma spoke, motioning Andrew to sit next to her.

Andrew hesitantly sat at the side of her bed until he noticed Emma struggling to sit up. As he leaned over to make Emma comfortable, Andrew felt more at ease. 

Pausing, Emma continued, “I find it hard to believe we’ve been apart for so long.”

“You talk as if nothing ever went wrong.”

“Life’s too short for grudges, Andrew. Truth is, I’ve never loved anyone like you.”

“I feel the exact same way.” 

“I know. . . What happened to you--to us?”

Ashamed, Andrew buried his face in his trembling hands while tears filled his almond-shaped eyes. The terminally ill patient gently uncovered Andrew’s face with her bony and fragile hands. Not letting go, she rested her hand in his sweaty palm. Andrew could not return the gesture, fearing he would injure Emma.

As always, Emma read his mind, “Don’t worry, you won’t break me.”

“That’s what I’ve been afraid of for so long,” Andrew remarked ruefully while cautiously folding his fingers over hers. “If we just had left the country, none of this would’ve happened.”

Gently caressing Andrew’s sullen face, Emma muttered, “We can’t change the past.”

“But we would have lived our lives together,” Andrew insisted. “I’m so sorry.”

“None of this is your fault. You had your reasons for leaving,” Emma whispered while running her clammy fingers through his wavy brown hair. 

“It is my fault for leaving you,” Andrew replied. “But I won’t abandon you now.”

* * *

For the next week, Andrew spent every possible moment by Emma’s side. In their precious time together, the two individuals shared their innermost thoughts and emotions. Despite a tumultuous decade between them, Andrew and Emma rekindled their relationship as it were before fate tore them apart.

For the first time, Andrew candidly told another soul about his wartime experiences. Patiently, Emma listened to the painful recollections of the pointless war in which Peter, Andrew’s nineteen-year old brother, perished as his combat unit encountered a fierce guerilla attack. Emotionally, Andrew described his belief that his presence brought pain to his loved ones. Concerned and empathetic, Emma desperately explained why Andrew’s assumption could not possibly hold truth.

Likewise, Andrew expressed just as much compassion. Crying openly, Emma shed the brave mask she maintained for her family’s sake while discussing her unfair and painful destiny.

As Emma’s condition deteriorated rapidly, Andrew faithfully stayed by her side until her heartbeat finally ceased on a picturesque July evening. A few short hours beforehand, Emma seemed unusually alert. Wrapped in Andrew’s loving embrace, Emma faintly told Andrew that she felt the end was drawing near.

“Don’t say that,” Andrew whispered.

Emma shook her head, “It’s okay. I’m ready.” 

“I’ll never forget you,” Andrew promised.

Emma’s eyes glistened with tears as she spoke, “Andrew, I know you’ll be fine. Please live your life to the fullest. Do something great for the both of us.”

“I will, dear,” Andrew vowed before gently kissing her dry, discolored lips.

“Thank you for coming back to me.”

Fighting to hold back tears, Andrew responded, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Emma mouthed with a weak smile before slipping into an unconscious state.

For a few moments, Andrew laid there motionlessly, listening to Emma’s slow, labored breathing. Not wanting to remember her this way, Andrew closed his eyes. He imagined Emma walking through the park, joyfully laughing as her luscious red hair blew in the breeze. Lost in pleasant memories, Andrew awoke about an hour later only to find his beloved had passed.

* * *

Not long after the funeral, Andrew returned to Emma’s grave. Tenderly, he laid a bouquet of sweet-smelling red roses in front of her marble monument. Slowly tracing the tombstone’s letters with one finger, Andrew felt at peace. He finally understood that his presence did not bestow misfortune on others. 

“Emma,” Andrew solemnly vowed, “I will truly accomplish something great in this world before I join you.”

**Author's Note:**

> There is another edition to this story that doesn't include as much background information. I followed my teacher's suggested edits; however, I do not like it as much as it has less emotional impact
> 
> I've had more of an urge to write fanfiction recently. But I revisted this, and I thought that, since I am proud of this story, it should see the light of day. So here it is in all of its glory. I think I might be able to write it better now. After all, I was about 17 when I wrote this, and I am in my 20s now. I just don't feel right changing anything.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed suffering with me while I relived this story.


End file.
